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Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Board of Election members Lynne Garrison and John VanHook feed absentee votes into a machine that tallies the totals during canvass on Friday, Nov. 15. Approved absentee and provisional ballots were added to the totals and the board made the 2024 General Election official.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Board of Election members Lynne Garrison and John VanHook feed absentee votes into a machine that tallies the totals during canvass on Friday, Nov. 15. Approved absentee and provisional ballots were added to the totals and the board made the 2024 General Election official.

Provisional, absentee ballots added to election totals

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
By approving 112 of the 211 provisional ballots and 45 absentee ballots during canvass on Friday, Nov. 15, the Macon County Board of Elections signed off on the 2024 election.
Photo/Ryan Hanchett - A crew from Bryson Grading and Paving has started the work to repair NC 106 and hope to have the road ready for travel sometime in January.

Photo/Ryan Hanchett - A crew from Bryson Grading and Paving has started the work to repair NC 106 and hope to have the road ready for travel sometime in January.

The road to opening NC 106

News Staff
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Ryan Hanchett rhanchett@highlandsnews.com   Walking from the Blue Valley Overlook parking area towards Scaly Mountain on what used to be NC 106 is like walking back in time.
Press photo/Rachel Hoskins - The Town of Franklin was the second municipality statewide to pass a Resolution Pledging to Practice and Promote Civility. Council members and Town Manager Amie Owens attended a two-hour webinar on the Commit to Civility program, signed the pledge and adopted the resolution. In passing the resolution, Mayor Jack Horton expressed his appreciation to the council on their professionalism toward each other and the public.

Press photo/Rachel Hoskins - The Town of Franklin was the second municipality statewide to pass a Resolution Pledging to Practice and Promote Civility. Council members and Town Manager Amie Owens attended a two-hour webinar on the Commit to Civility program, signed the pledge and adopted the resolution. In passing the resolution, Mayor Jack Horton expressed his appreciation to the council on their professionalism toward each other and the public.

Franklin Town Council approves holiday bonus

(not verified)
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Rachel Hoskins - rhoskins@thefranklinpress.com  Following a positive annual audit report by auditing firm Martin Starnes and Associates, members of the Franklin Town Council voted on a budget amendment that will put some extra cash in the pockets of town employees just in time for the holidays.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - More than three dozen community members showed up for the Macon County Planning Board meeting on Nov. 7. However, no business could be conducted because there was not a quorum of the board members.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - More than three dozen community members showed up for the Macon County Planning Board meeting on Nov. 7. However, no business could be conducted because there was not a quorum of the board members.

Presenters advise against floodplain change

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Being two members short of a quorum, the Macon County Planning Board couldn’t officially hold a meeting as scheduled on Thursday, Nov. 7, but did listen to 90 minutes of public comment and presentations from those who showed up and one of their members.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - The Macon County Board of Elections members read off the early-voting results from the ticker tape prior to entering them into the statewide database. Pictured (from left) are Board of Elections members Lynne Garrison, Chair Kathy Tinsley, John Vanhook and Vice Chair Gary Dills while Sheriff Brent Holbrooks looks on.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - The Macon County Board of Elections members read off the early-voting results from the ticker tape prior to entering them into the statewide database. Pictured (from left) are Board of Elections members Lynne Garrison, Chair Kathy Tinsley, John Vanhook and Vice Chair Gary Dills while Sheriff Brent Holbrooks looks on.

Sales tax hike narrowly defeated, Breedlove keeps school board seat

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
In the closest Macon County contest of the night, a referendum to raise the local sales tax by a quarter of a cent looks to have failed by 487 votes. Not counting the roughly 60 provisional ballots left, 10,213 votes (51.22%) were cast “Against” the referendum compared to 9,726 “For” votes, or 48.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Veterans and local residents gathered at the gazebo in downtown Franklin for the 2024 Veterans Day ceremony following the parade.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Veterans and local residents gathered at the gazebo in downtown Franklin for the 2024 Veterans Day ceremony following the parade.

Honoring those who served

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Franklin’s annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony took place at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month and paid tribute to those who served. Early rain yielded to sunny skies and rising temperatures as hundreds lined Main Street and gathered at the gazebo for the solemn ceremony.
The Franklin High School seniors and kindergarten students from around county participated in the Panther Legacy handoff on Nov. 1.

The Franklin High School seniors and kindergarten students from around county participated in the Panther Legacy handoff on Nov. 1.

Panther Legacy

News Staff
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Friday, Nov. 1 was a day to honor the Panther Legacy and celebrate 75 years of football in the Panther Pit. Friday night’s game against Pisgah was the last regular-season home game.
Press file photo - School buses in the Depot Street roundabout.

Press file photo - School buses in the Depot Street roundabout.

School bus driver shortage impacts families

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Single mother Danielle Sewell waits every week during the school year for a message. The message will determine her schedule for the entire week and that of her three children, aged 15, 13 and 7. But this message doesn’t have to do with work. It’s if her kids’ school bus has a driver that week.
Photo submitted - A photo showing flooding of farmland following Hurricane Helene. The photo is include in the Water Quality Advisory Committee’s report that will be presented ot the Macon County Planning Board.

Photo submitted - A photo showing flooding of farmland following Hurricane Helene. The photo is include in the Water Quality Advisory Committee’s report that will be presented ot the Macon County Planning Board.

Floodplain fill on Planning Board agenda

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The Macon County Planning Board will take up the third of three proposed watershed and floodplain changes on Thursday, Nov. 7, but with the meeting at a new location.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Amanda Watson votes at the North Franklin precinct around 9 a.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Watson and others said it felt great to cast their ballot and that everyone at the precinct was so friendly.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Amanda Watson votes at the North Franklin precinct around 9 a.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. Watson and others said it felt great to cast their ballot and that everyone at the precinct was so friendly.

More than half of Macon County voters cast ballots early

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Early voting in Macon County broke records in 2024, as more than 16,000 people cast their ballots in those 15 days. According to Macon County Board of Elections data, after early voting ended at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, there were 16,171 early voters in Macon County.